s which pay no fines, and some leases for
lives which pay very little, and not so soon nor so duly.

I cannot but be confident, that their Graces my Lords the Archbishops,
and my Lords the Bishops will heartily join in this proposal, out of
gratitude to his late and present Majesty, the best of Kings, who have
bestowed such high and opulent stations, as well as in pity to this
country which is now become their own; whereby they will be instrumental
towards paying the nation's debts, without impoverishing themselves,
enrich an hundred gentlemen, as well as free them from dependence, and
thus remove that envy which is apt to fall upon their Graces and
Lordships from considerable persons, whose birth and fortunes rather
qualify them to be lords of manors, than servile dependants upon
Churchmen however dignified or distinguished.

If I do not flatter myself, there could not be any law more popular than
this; for the immediate tenants to bishops, being some of them persons
of quality, and good estates, and more of them grown up to be gentlemen
by the profits of these very leases, under a succession of bishops,
think it a disgrace to be subject both to rents and fines, at the
pleasure of their landlords. Then the bulk of the tenants, especially
the dissenters, who are our loyal Protestant brethren, look upon it both
as an unnatural and iniquitous thing that bishops should be owners of
land at all; (wherein I beg to differ from them) being a point so
contrary to the practice of the Apostles, whose successors they are
deemed to be, and who although they were contented that land should be
sold, for the common use of the brethren, yet would not buy it
themselves, but had it laid at their feet, to be distributed to poor
proselytes.

I will add one word more, that by such a wholesome law, all the
oppressions felt by under-tenants of Church leases, which are now laid
on by the bishops would entirely be prevented, by their Graces and
Lordships consenting to have their lands sold for payment of the
nation's debts, reserving only the present rent for their own plentiful
and honourable support.

I beg leave to add one particular, that, when heads of a Bill (as I find
the style runs in this kingdom) shall be brought in for forming this
proposal into a law; I should humbly offer that there might be a power
given to every bishop (except those who reside in Dublin) for applying
one hundred acres of profitable land that lies nearest to h